Air supply system



, March 1, 1960- F. K. BERRY 2,926,689

AIR SUPPLY SYSTEM Filed Dec. 9, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

Filed Dec. 9, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INWENTOR.

March 1, 1960 F. K. BERRY 2,926,689

AIR SUPPLY SYSTEM Filed D90. 9, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VENT OR.

ply outlet.

United States Patent AIR SUPPLY SYSTEM Frank K. Berry, Pacoima, Calif., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application December 9, 1957, Serial No. 701,422 Claims. or. 137-322 This invention relates to power supply systems and more particularly to mechanisms by which power is supplied to a power driven tool from any of a number of power supply outlets.

Many industrial production line operations require the use of air powered tools or electric tools suspended from hoses or cables overhead. The production line conveyor moves at a constant speed and the tool must travel with the workpiece as the operation is performed. In many cases hoses or cables must be quite long in order for the particular operation to be carried out as the workpiece moves along the production line. Thus hoses and cables must be dragged back and forth along the floor, and the operator is allowed only the length of time required for the workpiece to travel the length of the hose or cable feeding his tool to carry out his particular operation.

The device in which this invention is embodied comprises a track assembly and a carriage assembly, which is movable along and within the track assembly, and carries the tool hose or cable. This allows for shorter lengths of hose or cable, keeps the hose or cable off the floor and permits completion of the particular operation past the normal operating point, if necessary, resulting in more eflicient operation and material saving in wear and tear on the hoses or cables and attachments.

In the drawings: f

Figure 1 is an elevation view of a track assembly partly in section to show the carriage assembly mounted therein, and further illustrates in phantom difiierent positions of the carriage assembly.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the track assembly of Figure 1 showing the carriage assembly partly in section mounted therein.

Figure 2a is an enlarged sectional view of the air sup- Figure 3 is a sectional view substantially along the line 3--3 of Figure l with parts broken away.

Figure 4 is a plan view partly in section of the track assembly and carriage assembly of Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings a suspended track assembly 10 is suitably supported over an assembly line in a production installation where power tool operations are carried out at a series of stations along the line. A carriage assembly 11 mounted within the track assembly moves along the track 38 at the will of the tool operator below. A seriesof air supply outlets 12 are mounted on the track assembly and are'connected with a main airfsupply suitably located with respect to the production line. i

The carriage assembly 11, shown in more detail in Figures 2, 3 and 4, rolls on a plurality of load bearing rollers or wheels 13 which support the carriage block 14 on the axles 15. Ball bearings 16 between the rollers or wheels and the axles provide smooth travel of the carriage assembly along the track. A conduit or power transmitting means 17 extends through the carriage block and is carried by the. carriage block to operatively connect the tool hose 18 with an air supply outlet 12. The air 2,926,689 Patented Mar. 1, 1969 2 supply outlet is mounted on a casing member 39 and consists of a female outlet member 19 extending through the casing member and retained on the casing member by a nut 20. A hose 21 extending from the main air supply is attached to a pipe fitting 22 which is threaded into the female outlet member. A valve 23, inside the pipe fitting 22, operates to open or close the air supply outlet. The valve member 23 has a flange 25 mounted thereon which seats on a resilient seal 26 to block the flow of air through the female outlet member 19. A spring 24 acts between a shoulder 40 on the pipe fitting, and the flange 25 on the valve member, to bias the valve member in the closed position. The valve member has a pilot portion 27 at its lower end consisting of a plurality of lands 41 which keep the valve member from misalignment with respect to the air passage through the pipe fitting 22 and the female outlet member 19, and provide openings for a flow of air through the outlet when the flange 25 is disengaged from the seal 26.

Mounted on the upper extremity of the conduit 17 is a snap coupling 28 which fits into the female outlet member and into the resilient seal 26 of the air supply outlet 12 to provide a passage for air from the main airsupply to the tool below. The upper end of the snap coupling engages the lands 41 on the valve member to unseat the Washer from the resilient seal and open the'passage to a flow of air. Resilient means, such as a spring 29, seats against a spacer 30 mounted on the carriage block 14 and surrounding the conduit 17. The upper end of the spring 29 bears against the base flange 31 of the snap coupling to bias the snap coupling into engagement with the air supply outlet when the carriage assembly is properly positioned along the track assembly. Proper positioning is obtained through the use of a guide block 32 surrounding the lower end of the conduit 17 and retained on the conduit by a conventional retaining ring 33. The guide block carries a plurality of wheels or rollers 34 which are secured to the guide block by means of bolts 35. These rollers or wheels are adapted to engage openings 36 in rails 37 mounted below the track 38.

The track assembly comprises a track portion 38 and a casing portion 39 on which the air supply outlets 12 are mounted. The casing 39 serves to protect the air lows. Air is supplied to the air supply outlets 12 from any suitable source. At the beginning of the operation the carriage is positioned below the air supply outlet nearest the workpiece on which the tool is being used, as shown in phantom in the center of Figure 1. The rollers 34 are engaged in the openings 36 in the guide rails37 and the snap coupling 28 is engaged in' the air supply outlet 12 by the spring 29 to transmit air from the main air supply to the tool. The operation is carried out for as long a time as the length of hose will allow, at which time the operator pulls on the hose to disengage the guide block rollers 34 from the guide rail openings 36 disconnecting the snap coupling 28 from the air supply outlet 12 to allow movement of the carriage assembly 11 along the track. The operator, by pulling the hose, moves the carriage assembly, as shown in phantom at theright of Figure 1, to the next convenient air supply outlet and the guide block rollers will engage the adjacent guide rail openings. The resilient means acting beaeaaesa tween the carriage block'and the conduit will automatically engage the snap coupling in the air supply outlet to. supply power to the tool. This operation is carried out as many times as is necessary for the operation to be performed.

What is claimed is:

. 1. An air supply system for air powered tools comprising a track, a casing extending from said track and along the length thereof, a plurality of air supply outlets mounted on said casing, a snap coupling receivable in any of said air supply outlets, a conduit attached to said snap coupling to transmit air from one of said air supply outlets, carriage means for said conduit to move said conduit and said snap coupling to any of said air supply outlets, resilient means operative between said conduit and said carriage means to seat said snap coupling in proper relation to one of said air supply outlets, and a guide block assembly retained on said conduit and engageable with openings formed in said truck and spaced along the length thereof the same distance apart as said outlets to properly locate said carriage means and said conduit on said track for engagement of said snap coupling with one of said air supply outlets.

2. An air supply system for air powered tools comprising an enclosed track, guide rails mounted on said enclosed track and having. a plurality of openings therein and spaced along the length thereof, a plurality of air supply outlets mounted. on said enclosed track and spaced the same distance apart as said openings in said guide rails, a snap coupling receivable within anyv of said air supply outlets, a conduit attached to said snap coupling to transmit air from said air supply, carriage means for said conduit to move said conduit and said snap coupling along said enclosed track, a guide block retained on said Conduit and movable therewith, rollers mounted on said guide block engageable with said openings in said guide rails, and resilient means operating between said conduit and said carriage means to properly seat said snap coupling in any of said air supply outlets when said rollers engage the corresponding opening in said guide rails.

3. An air supply system comprising an enclosed track, a plurality of guide rail sections mounted on said enclosed track and having their ends linearly spaced to provide openings therebetween, a plurality of air supply outlets mounted on said track and spaced the, same distance apart as the openings between said guide rail sections and in line therewith, a carriage movable along said enclosed track, a conduit carried by said carriage for movement along said enclosed track, a snap coupling attached to said conduit and engageable with any of said air supply outlets, a guide block retained by said conduit and movable therewith, roller means carried by said guide block and receivable in the openings between said guide rail sections, and resilient means operating between said carriage means and said conduit for seating said snap coupling in one of said air supply outlets when said guide block is received in the complementary opening between the ends of a pair of said guide rails.

4. An air supply system comprising a track, a plurality of air outlets located above said track and spaced therefrom, a carriagev movable along said track, a snap coupling receivable in any of said air supply outlets, a conduit, attached to said snap coupling and carried by said carriage to supply air from one of said air supply outlets,

a guide block assembly retained on said conduit and engageable with openings in said track spaced along the length thereof the same distance apart as said outlets to locate said carriage along said track and insure proper seating of said snap. coupling, and resilient means operating between said conduit and said carriage to seat said snap coupling in one ofsaid air supply outlets when said carriage is properly positioned with respect to the air supply outlet;

5., An air supply system comprising a track, casing means enclosing said track and extending along the length thereof, a plurality of air supply outlets mounted on said casing means and spaced along the length thereof, a carriage movable along said track, a conduit carried by said carriage for movement along said track, a snap coupling attached to said conduit and engageable with any of said air supply outlets, guide means mounted on said conduit and engageable with openings in said track spaced along the length thereof and the same distance apart as said outlets to locate said snap coupling with respect to any of said air supply outlets, and resilient means operative between said conduit and said carriage to seat said snap coupling in one of said air supply outlets when properly located by said guide means.

6. An air supply system comprising a track, casing means mounted on said track and along the length thereof, a plurality of air supply outlets spaced along the length of said track and mounted on said casing means, a carriage movable along said track, a conduit carried by said carriage means and movable therewith, a snap coupling attached to said conduit and receivable in any of said air supply outlets, resilient means operative be tween said conduit and said carriage to seat said snap coupling in any one of said air supply outlets, and guide means mounted on said conduit and engageable with openings in said track spaced along the length thereof and the same distance apart as said outlets to locate said carriage along said track for engagement of said snap coupling in any one of said air supply outlets. A

7. The combination of a track assembly and a carriage assembly for'an air supply system, said track assembly comprising a track, guide rails mounted on said track and having a plurality of openings therein, said openings being linearly spaced along the length of said guide rails, casing means mounted on said track and extending along the length thereof, and a plurality of air supply outlets mounted on said casing means and spaced the same distance apart along the length of said track as said openings in said guide rails, said carriage assembly comprising a carriage block movable along said track, a conduit mounted in said carriage block and movable therewith, a snap coupling attached to said conduit and receivable in any of said air supply outlets, guide means retained on said conduit and being engageable in said openings in said guide rails, and resilient means operative between said conduit and said carriage block to seat said snap coupling in any one of said air supply outlets when said carriage assembly is properly positioned by said guide. means along said track.

8. A power supply system comprising a track, a pinrality of power supply outlets spaced along the length of said track, a snap coupling receivable within any of said power supply outlets, power transmitting means attached to said snap coupling to transmit power from said power supply outlets to a load, carriage means movable along said track to carry said power transmitting means and said snap coupling to any of said power supply outlets, a guide block assembly mounted on said power transmitting means and engageable with openings formed in said track spaced along the length thereof and the same distance apart as said outlets to properly locate said snap coupling in power transmitting engagement with any one of said power supply outlets, and resilient means operating between said carriage and said power transmitting means to seat said snap coupling in any of said power supply outlets when said snap coupling is properly located by said guide block.

9. A power supply system comprising a track, casing means enclosing said track along the length thereof, a plurality of power supply outletsmounted on said casing means and spaced. along the length of said track, a carriage movable along .said track, power transmitting means carried by .said carriage and movable along said track with said carriage, asnap coupling attached to said power transmitting means and receivable in any of said power supply outlets, a guide block assembly retained on said ['2" 0 power transmitting means and engageable with openings formed in said track spaced along the length thereof and the same distance apart as said outlets to properly locate said snap coupling in any one of said power supply outlets, and resilient means operating between said carriage and said power transmitting means to seat said snapcoupling in any one of said power supply outlets when said snap coupling and said power transmitting means is properly located by said guide block.

10. An air supply system comprising a hose, a conduit coupled to the one end of said hose, snap coupling means carried by said conduit, a carriage movable along a track and carrying said conduit, a plurality of air supply outlets spaced along the length of said track and adapted to receive said snap coupling means, a guide block retained on said conduit and movable therewith, and resilient means between said conduit and said carriage to operatively seat said snap coupling in any one of said air supply outlets.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 915,519 Bacigalupi Mar. 8, 1910 1,008,004 Bacigalupi Nov. 7, 1911 2,720,217 Vossbrinck Oct. 11, 1955 2,831,501 Gummere .Q Apr. 22, 1958 

